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'Our biggest problem': Have All Blacks learned their lesson?

By Online Editors
All Blacks' Codie Taylor reacts during the Rugby Championship draw with South Africa in Wellington (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)

By Patrick McKendry, NZ Herald

In the unlikely event that South Africa beat the All Blacks by 15 points or more tomorrow, Steve Hansen’s men will lose their place as the world’s top-ranked team, an honour they have held since 2009, but not to the Springboks – to Wales.

Significantly, Wales haven’t beaten New Zealand since 1953, so one could argue all day about the merits of the ranking system but what is not in question is the threat the Boks, ranked fifth and on their way up, will provide at Westpac Stadium and as the All Blacks’ first World Cup pool opponents in Yokohama on September 21.

After beating the All Blacks 36-34 in Wellington last year – the All Blacks’ first loss at home to the South Africans since 2009 – and losing 32-30 in the return test in Pretoria, the Boks have travelled here confident they have the ability to beat the current best team in the world and, significantly under coach Rassie Erasmus, the right game plan to do so.

They won last year by taking every chance presented to them – and Anton Lienert-Brown and Jordie Barrett were guilty of a couple of high-profile errors – but they never stopped playing with ambition and in the end their defence on their own line was remarkable as the All Blacks crashed against it like waves on a rock.

It was a turning point in their development but also the All Blacks, who turned down two kickable penalties late in the test when chasing it and are unlikely to do so again under Steve Hansen.

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Beauden Barrett could have thrown the ball over the bar with 13 minutes remaining which would have narrowed the score to 32-36, but instead the All Blacks went for a scrum which came to nothing, an overly attacking attitude which was openly criticised by Hansen, who pointed the finger at all of his leaders.

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“Our game management was next door to zero… that was our biggest problem,” Hansen said 10 months ago before making a pointed reference to the 2007 World Cup quarter-final disaster against France.

“I think back to 2007 as the last time I can think of the game that we so poorly managed. It was the pressure of the scoreboard and the pressure of the event and this time the same thing happened.

“We got really individualistic and tried to do it all by ourselves. All we had to do was take a big breath and maybe take a shot at goal in the 66th minute and that gives you three points and maybe get a try and that puts you in front. That’s one example.

“A dropped goal wouldn’t be bad either would it, and we couldn’t do one of those in 2007 because it’s not the thing that the five-eight at that time is used to doing. It’s not one that Beauden [Barrett] has done, I don’t think he’s ever got one [in tests].”

Significantly, Barrett attempted one in Pretoria during the dramatic 32-30 victory for the visitors, which featured two converted tries for Scott Barrett and Ardie Savea in the final five minutes. Barrett’s shot, taken under a penalty advantage, missed, but it proved Hansen’s point had reached receptive ears.

What are the chances we see a few attempts from first-five Richie Mo’unga against the Boks tomorrow?

After this test there are only three to go until the World Cup, so the practice certainly wouldn’t hurt and while this test is lower on Hansen’s priority list than the next month’s two Bledisloe Cup fixtures, there is a world ranking to uphold, last year’s result to put right and a World Cup to prepare for.

It goes without saying that another defeat to South Africa would undermine confidence, but should Wales attain the No 1 spot after this weekend it would cause all sorts of questions to be asked. Execution is key, but so is game management.

This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and was republished with permission

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Jon 4 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

30 Go to comments
T
Trevor 11 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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